Do you remember the 1983 game by Doug Smith, Lode Runner? The game was a classic hit and greatly inspired many gamers and games thereafter, even including Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. Well, indie developer Tozai Games seeks to bring Lode Runner back through Steam Greenlight. They’re aiming to get the game up and out for PC this Summer.

Actually, and to be honest here, I was going to skip this game altogether at first sight, until I recognized what it was and remembered the history behind Lode Runner. I suspect some may not understand, which is fine, but it was one of the games that helped shape the gaming industry back in the 1980s, helping to move the industry forward and progress intuitive game design. So forward in fact, like mentioned above, Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, noted that…

“My favorite for many, many years. Every level was a real puzzle with its own mechanics, its own dynamics, its own kind of solution. … I can’t imagine any other game with such inventive and unusual design.”

You hear that!? “Inventive” innovation. The game made players think unlike any other game at the time, pushing the gaming industry forward with mechanics unlike others during that time. And since the Internet didn’t quite exist in the way that it does today, there was no way of spreading the word about the game. Even still, the game managed to reach many. So at the time it truly was, and still is, innovation at its finest.

Seeing that Tozai Games wants to bring the game back in a modern way, while keeping the 1983 game mechanics, this led the developer to release this description below.

“Tozai Games is pleased to announce the classic platformer series Lode Runner is now on Steam Greenlight. “Lode Runner Legacy” is the latest edition in the classic Lode Runner series, a masterpiece of action puzzle gaming first introduced in the U.S. in 1983 by creator Doug Smith. This new version features all of the high-adrenaline gameplay Lode Runner is known for with an updated Voxel visual style and powerful editors that let players create their own Runners and items.”